Shaped charge ammunition is one of the most lethal threats to armored vehicles (or other bodies in general). Hereinafter, for the sake of brevity the following description will refer to “vehicles” or “armored vehicles”. However, it should be noted that this reference to “vehicles” or “armored vehicles” does not limit the invention to any form of a body, either moving or stationary.
Shaped-charge ammunition is usually initiated by an impact activated device, which is located at the front of the threat and is activated upon contact with any solid object, especially with the target wall. This initiation causes the shaped-charge warhead to detonate and create a super high-velocity jet of molten metal, which can penetrate very thick armor, even if warhead detonation takes place at a considerable stand-off distance from the target wall. Such detonation is therefore extremely harmful and dangerous to the protected object and to its occupants. In view of the above characteristics of the shaped charge ammunition, it becomes clear that neutralization of this threat without detonating the shaped charge is of the utmost importance.
The art has provided mainly three types of measures for close-range protection of armored vehicles from shaped-charge ammunition: (a) passive net or the so-called “bar armor”; (b) a “reactive armor”; and (c) fragment-based, bullet-based, or bar-based interceptor.
Passive net or bar-armor act in deforming the nose-cone of RPG-type threats. The nose-cone is made of two co-axial, narrowly spaced aluminum shells, which conduct the electrical signal from a piezo-electric sensor at the tip to the warhead detonator. The deformation caused by the net or bar creates a short- or open-circuit that prevents the shaped-charge from detonating. This method, however, has limited effectiveness and is only useful against single charge (alias “mono”) RPG-type threats.
A “reactive armor” against shaped-charge ammunition comprises plurality of explosive-backed panels that are disposed over the external surface of the armored vehicle. Upon impact between the ammunition and the reactive panel, the explosive under the panel detonates and blows the panel to corrupt the profile of the shaped-charge jet. Thus the jet, although being formed, fails to penetrate the vehicle's armor, and the explosion remains outside of the vehicle. The reactive armor is effective to some extent, still it has the following main drawbacks: (a) The reactive panels should fully cover the external surface of the vehicle's armor, therefore they add significant weight to the armored vehicle; (b) The reactive panels provide protection only at surface locations where they are disposed; and (c) Protection is activated only upon actual detonation of the ammunition and in addition also detonation of the explosive of the reactive armor. Therefore, considerable thickness of armor is still necessary to protect the vehicle and its occupants, and neighboring persons outside the vehicle may be at risk.
The third measure against shaped-charge ammunition, which is based on fragments, bullets, or any other one or more solid objects, intercepts the shaped charge projectile at some distance away from the protected object. Hereinafter, said bullets, fragments (or other types of solid objects) based measure will be referred to as “interceptor”. A typical interceptor comprises a detection system, employing optical, radar or any other type of sensor or combination thereof, which detects an incoming shaped-charge projectile and calculates its course and progression. At an appropriate time the interceptor is activated to create a “beam” or “screen” of fragments or bullets, or to eject any other one or more objects or mass, that intercepts and destroys the shaped-charge ammunition. When reaction time is extremely short, one has to defeat the shaped-charge ammunition in proximity of the vehicle. In one example, IL 194090 discloses propulsion of a single disrupting element in a direction substantially perpendicular to the progression direction of an RPG, to destroy it. This method, however, only works against RPG type threats by neutralizing their piezo-electric impact switch to prevent shaped-charge jet formation. The explosive warhead remains intact and may have a secondary effect of detonation at the vehicle wall, thus endangering the vehicle and its occupants. Other examples where fragments or bullets are used are given hereinafter.
In order to fully protect the vehicle, the interceptor system is typically deployed in a peripheral manner, to intercept projectiles that may approach the vehicle from any direction. When neutralization of the shaped-charge ammunition has to take place in proximity of the vehicle, the interceptor type of protection, as disclosed in this invention, adds in general less weight to the vehicle compared to the reactive armor. Compared to reactive armor it has the additional advantage of preventing explosion of the projectile in proximity of the vehicle which may harm friendly troops in the proximity of the vehicle and eliminating the heavier base armor necessary for reactive armor protection.
Several prior art systems of the fragment-based interceptor type are disclosed in: WO 2007/089253, EP 1,467,171, U.S. Pat. No. 5,661,254, EP 1,096,218, U.S. Pat. No. 7,236,122, U.S. Pat. No. 6,717,543, U.S. Pat. No. 6,920,827, US 2006/0175464, and US 2006/0065150. However, none of the systems of the above publications suggests destruction of a shaped-charge projectile while avoiding initiation of the projectile's charge, and explosion. As noted above, such an explosion in the proximity of the vehicle endangers the occupants of the vehicle, as well as the vehicle itself.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an interceptor type system which is safer to the vehicle and its occupants, and also to neighboring persons and objects, compared to prior art interceptors.
It is a more specific object of the present invention to provide an interceptor type system which destroys a shaped charge projectile, while avoiding detonation of the projectile charge itself.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide an interceptor type system which destroys the shaped charge projectile in proximity of the vehicle, but at manner which minimizes the damage to the armored vehicle.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a single interceptor type system which can ensure destruction of a shaped charge projectile
It is still another object of the present invention to provide said interceptor system in a compact and reliable manner.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds.